A gas panic has set in across several states in the Southeast following the weekend cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline that forced the temporary shutdown of a 5,500-mile system of lines stretching from New Jersey to southeastern Texas. More than 1,000 gas stations across the Southeast are reportedly out of fuel, as people have rushed to hoard gas over fears of shortages and spiking prices.

Colonial Pipeline announced plans to restart the pipeline by Wednesday evening, noting that it will take a few days to fully “ramp up operations.” By the end of the week, the pipeline should be back to normal. In the meantime, governors in four states — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia — have declared a state of emergency, with North Carolina reporting the highest percentage (14.7%) of gas stations experiencing fuel shortages and metro areas generally being the hardest hit.

It appears that the gas shortage can be attributed more to panic buying than the pipeline shutdown itself. The Washington Examiner reports, “In Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, gasoline demand rose more than 40% on Monday.”

The rush on gas sent prices jumping as well. The average cost per gallon is now up to $2.99, and it’s almost certain to rise above $3 for the first time since 2014. The question is, how quickly will the prices drop back down now that the pipeline is up and running again?

The White House cautioned against panic. “There should be no cause for hoarding gasoline,” contended Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. “It’s not that we have a gasoline shortage. We have this supply crunch. Things will be back to normal soon.” Oh, not a shortage; a supply crunch. Got it.

The “nothing to see here” routine is predictable. Politically speaking, this is bad for Joe Biden, as it has many folks likening him to Jimmy Carter, not just with lines at gas stations reminiscent of the 1970s, but with the recent dismal jobs report. Making it worse is the fact that one of Biden’s first moves upon taking office was to attack America’s energy sector with an executive order shutting down construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. It was a move to appease the radical Left, and it only served to make the country more vulnerable to attacks against our energy infrastructure. Now with this largest cyberattack in U.S. history being against a major infrastructure target like Colonial Pipeline, Biden looks even more feckless and asleep at the wheel.

(Updated.)